Fifty-year-long friends Frank Jones, left, and Dell Durden pause to reflect on the impact of Martin Luther King Jr. after lunching at Catfish Corner in the Central District. A mural and this quotation from King cover the east-facing wall of the restaurant. less

Fifty-year-long friends Frank Jones, left, and Dell Durden pause to reflect on the impact of Martin Luther King Jr. after lunching at Catfish Corner in the Central District. A mural and this quotation from King ... more

Tap-dance students make the mirror-lined walls tremble and the wooden floors shake at Talent, Tap, Acting, Arts, Performance & Production Central in the Central District in Seattle. Forty-three students practice at the TTAAPP studios. less

Tap-dance students make the mirror-lined walls tremble and the wooden floors shake at Talent, Tap, Acting, Arts, Performance & Production Central in the Central District in Seattle. Forty-three students ... more

Photo: Mike Urban, Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Tap-dance students make the mirror-lined walls tremble and the...photo-722840.5559 - |ucfirst

J.J. Jackson, owner of Nellie's Place Cafe in the Central District, specializes in "soul food for the soul." Jackson says, "Everything in here is family." Here he sets out a plate of fried okra and onions.

J.J. Jackson, owner of Nellie's Place Cafe in the Central District, specializes in "soul food for the soul." Jackson says, "Everything in here is family." Here he sets out a plate of fried okra and onions.

Photo: Gilbert W. Arias, Seattle Post-Intelligencer

J.J. Jackson, owner of Nellie's Place Cafe in the Central...photo-722842.5559 - |ucfirst

From the P-I archives: Steep slopes in the area have always set the neighborhood apart from the rest of the city. By 1888, the wagons that ran up Yesler Way were replaced by electric streetcars. Here, a trolley runs on Jackson Street at 14th Avenue in 1936. less

From the P-I archives: Steep slopes in the area have always set the neighborhood apart from the rest of the city. By 1888, the wagons that ran up Yesler Way were replaced by electric streetcars. Here, a trolley ... more

Photo: P-I File

From the P-I archives: Steep slopes in the area have always set the...photo-822566.5559 - |ucfirst

From the P-I archives: A large mural on Martin Luther King Jr. Way pays tribute to the slain civil rights leader.

From the P-I archives: A large mural on Martin Luther King Jr. Way pays tribute to the slain civil rights leader.

Photo: Kurt Smith, Seattle Post-Intelligencer

From the P-I archives: A large mural on Martin Luther King Jr. Way...photo-822569.5559 - |ucfirst

From the P-I archives: A whimsical art installation called "Family Trees" reflects the importance of family in the Central Area.

From the P-I archives: A whimsical art installation called "Family Trees" reflects the importance of family in the Central Area.

From the P-I archives: Project manager Joseph Curl works at the site of a new retail development at 23rd Avenue South and South Jackson Street.

From the P-I archives: Project manager Joseph Curl works at the site of a new retail development at 23rd Avenue South and South Jackson Street.

Photo: Kurt Smith, Seattle Post-Intelligencer

From the P-I archives: Project manager Joseph Curl works at the...photo-822578.5559 - |ucfirst

From the P-I archives: Charles McDade, 54, smiles in front of his home in the neighborhood where he is considered a community activist. Workers from the Central Area Better Homes program painted McDade's house this summer as a thank you for his efforts in the area. less

From the P-I archives: Charles McDade, 54, smiles in front of his home in the neighborhood where he is considered a community activist. Workers from the Central Area Better Homes program painted McDade's house ... more